Cities never sleep. Even as the sun disappears and most residents switch off their lamps, the roads continue to puff life into their every corner. Frames from the series ‘Sleepless City’ captures through photographs the majesty that occurs as the city becomes the territory of the night and brief human encounters.
The series of photographs portrays the city as well as its nighttime stage where the tempo decelerates, the emotions reach a crescendo, and the stories tend to become more of a personal kind. Each picture is an instant from the never-sleeping city. Images are about moments of the city where there are nameless corners rather than sites to photograph, where there are empty streets and light-filled windows rather than iconic skyline views.
Every night, the city changes character. The series is for all of us who have walked alone through a large city at night, taking comfort in the anonymous nature of it all, for all of us who have derived inspiration from silence. The essence of the never sleeping city has been caught through this frame-by-frame motion series.
This book is all about the “frame”. Each photo is like one full frame in a film where it conveys that there should be life preceding and succeeding this particular frame in the film. The lone figure in the bus stop, the taxi disappearing in the fog, the lighted window in the dark building—are stories that tell but don’t reveal themselves.
Human presence is subtly important. More often than not, the people are small against the vast urban environments, showcasing feelings of isolation and introspection. The city often feels empty, yet alive, in some frames-proof that even without crowds, urban spaces hold emotion. These images represent modern city life, where millions coexist and yet solitude is common.
Light is considered both subject matter and emotion. Artificial light sources function to replace sunshine, establishing the mood for each shot. Harsh streetlights, soft windowlight, and neon reflect light contrast the darkness. Shadows are not shunned but instead feature prominently. They add dimensions, complexity, and tension, further establishing that the night is a complex and multi-layered environment.
The weather also becomes a visual language. The rain, fog, and mist help to blur city boundaries and create the cityscapes’ texture. The wet roads reflect light like mirrors, multiplying the visual impact of the lighting. Such weather turns ordinary locations into paintings because the truth is: sometimes beauty lies in unexpected moments.
The series is for all of us who know the feel of alone nighttime walks in our massive city and finding comfort in the anonymity that comes with all that, for all of us who find inspiration in silence. The series captures in its every frame the spirit of an ever-awake city.
This series is for all of us who have taken a lone walk at night in a large city and found solace in the anonymity of the whole situation, for all of us who have found our inspiration in silence. This series of images captures the very essence of a never-sleeping city frame by frame.
